Monthly Archives: August 2014

18ft Skiff International Regatta at St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco

After a wild week inflicting its fury on the 13th 18′ Skiff International Regatta, San Francisco Bay got the message and greeted competitors Saturday with a modest 15 knots of summery breeze through the Golden Gate.

“The first two races today were postcard sailing,” said Brett Van Munster, the Australian skipper who with crew Paul Montague and Harry Thurston overcame a few capsizes and difficult competition to edge America’s Howie Hamlin by a single point, 15-16.

“But then that third race was something else,” the Aussie added.

The wind was a comfortable 15 knots with a flood tide and no whitecaps, certainly not capsize conditions, for the first race at noon, when Van Munster led Hamlin by more than a minute over the 6.7 nautical mile, twice-around windward-leeward course.

The second race started similarly, but soon built to 21 knots, knocking ASCC flat and from first to third at the windward mark as Skip McCormack, the local sailor skippering New Zealand’s Events Clothing-sponsored entry, held off Hamlin for the win.

But it was still a two-boat contest between ASCC (Australian Solvents and Chemicals) and Hamlin’s aged Harken/CST entry, which he and his crew of Matt McKinley and Cameron McDonald tweaked and patched up as they went along.

Hamlin said, “We wanted to beat [Van Munster] in the first two races, but he’s twice as fast and he just sailed around us. Matt and Cameron did terrific work keeping things together. We did very well to get second place with a 10-year-old boat and mainsail and a six-year-old jib.”

They were sailing Hamlin’s ‘B’ boat, with a carbonated old mast. His newer ‘A’ boat and sails were delayed in shipment from Italy where he placed third in the European championships in July.

But the older boat was the only one that never capsized all week… until all the racing was done after they won the 10th race.

McDonald said, “We lost a jib clew just after we finished.”

Without a jib, they were left to struggle through an awkward tack in 20-plus knots of crosswind to the beach, which they almost reached before a gust blew them over – their only capsize of the week.

Meanwhile, Van Munster was still struggling ashore after sailing the last downwind leg without a spinnaker, which didn’t prevent his final capsize.

After the ninth next-to-last race, with a second throwout still in the bank, he thought he might already have victory assured and wouldn’t need to sail.

“But we weren’t sure,” he said,” so we sailed.”

But cautiously, placing third to Hamlin’s third win of the week and a second place by the local Only 18 boat skippered by David Liebenberg, who wound up third overall.

“We broke a lot of stuff today, but not enough to make us retire,” Liebenberg said.

2014 Audi Melges 20 World Championship at Lake Garda

After 10 races in Riva Del Garda, Kilroy wins the Worlds, Marco Gambarella is awarded the Corinthian World title and Guido Miani named 2014 Audi Sailing Series Champion.

After one final race, John Kilroy at the helm of Samba Pa Ti, tactician Paul Goodison and crew Jeff Reynolds proved they were more than deserving of the 2014 Audi Melges 20 World Champion title. Four days of racing and no worse than a fourteenth in a fleet of 57 entries, the Samba team excelled in almost every condition and under a wide variety of pressure.

“All we wanted to do for the start of the race today was to control Mascalzone as they were the only ones that could possibly win the event other than us. So, we did a little match racing on the start,” commented a very happy Kilroy. “Things just went our way. Everything just went right for us. We’ve trained a lot and we have a great team.”

Kilroy attributes much of this week’s success to the training he has been doing in his home town of San Francisco, California with his son, 11-year old Liam Kilroy who helms Wildman. “The training we did against and with Wildman made me a much better small boat driver. We did a lot of match racing, practiced straight-line speed work and crew kinetics so, hats off to Wildman as they really made us a better team.”

In second overall is Achille Onorato helming Mascalzone Latino, Jr. with tactician Malcolm Page and Stefano Campialini as crew. Rounding out the top three is Guido Miani on Monaco Racing Fleet with tactician Gabriele Benussi and crew member Massimo Gherarducci who is the only other team other than Samba Pa Ti to hold three race wins in Riva.

In the all-amatuer Corinthian division (all ISAF Group 1 on board), Marco Gambarella’s Chimera edged out American John Brown’s Blind Squirrel for the overall title. From Canada, Paul Currie’s Wild Deuces finished third.

For now, the World Championship title remains in the hands of the Americans for another year.

A huge congratulations to the newly crowned 2014 Audi Melges 20 Sailing Series Champion Guido Miani. Over the last few months, since the start of the Series in Naples, which then traveled onward to Porto Ercole, Talamone and Riva Del Garda, Miani has been challenged by Dario Levi’s Fremito D’Arja all season long – until today. Onorato placed second in the series, while Levi finished in third overall. Pasquale Orofino’s Raffica and Mirko De Falco’s Peccere completed the Series in fourth and fifth respectively.

In 2015, the next World Championship will take place in San Francisco, California hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club on September 30-October 3.

Extreme Sailing Series™ 2014 Act 5, Cardiff, Wales

Cardiff Bay saved the best for last for the 11 boat Extreme 40 fleet, where Alinghi, The Wave, Muscat and J.P. Morgan BAR battled it out until the bitter end for the top positions, in one of the closest – and most exciting – three horse fights seen in the Series, which resulted in a three way collision and three consecutive penalties too boot in the final race.

In traditional UK Bank Holiday style, the day started with an onslaught of rain, before the clouds lifted, the breeze picked up and the fleet played out the final races in a beautiful 15 knots of breeze, with lots of ducking and weaving, hitting top speeds of 20 knots.

You couldn’t have scripted a better final, with the leaders leaning on each other hard as they tried to gain the upper hand and The Wave, Muscat took advantage of the tussle to sail away with the win at Act 5 presented by Land Rover – and importantly closing in on Alinghi on the overall 2014 Series leaderboard as a relieved McMillan commented:

“We’re on track this season, there’s nothing more we can do that’s for sure. The competition is very tight and Alinghi have been really slick this year and have brought in some unbelievable performances. To get one over on them here kind of brings it back down by a point and if we are going to keep pushing them hard, and they do the same to us it’s going to go down to the crunch.”

That left Ben Ainslie and Morgan Larson in a straight shoot out for second, but the British skipper couldn’t break the domination of Switzerland’s Alinghi, with Larson snatching it from the grasps of J.P. Morgan BAR. Alinghi’s Olympic champion tactician Anna Tunnicliffe talked through the final race: “We were waiting for Leigh (McMillan) to tack and he drove us right into the boats rounding the mark and boats started coming at us head first. We ended up above the mark so we couldn’t bear away and at the same time, Ben (Ainslie) was coming round into the side of us and it all turned into a mess. All three boats were tangled on each other. It’s very frustrating, but hopefully we can learn from our mistakes, we’re still on top which is good – the damage could have been worse. We need to move on to Istanbul and refocus for that event.”

Ben Ainslie’s J.P. Morgan BAR were on fire and threatening all day, posting a steady stream of consistent results and slowly chipping away at the leading pack to put themselves in the running. Despite just missing out on second place, the team’s four-times Olympic champion skipper Ainslie was satisfied with the final position, who this week were joined by local lad, Bleddyn Mon.

“It has been a great improvement to see us on the podium and great to challenge with the top teams today. It’s a big step forwards and hopefully we can continue this for the rest of the Series. Sailing with Paul Campbell-James was fantastic, he has taught us a lot about these boats and Bleddyn was a great addition, he worked incredibly hard. We are looking forward to sailing with Paul Goodison in Istanbul and as we develop further in the event.”

SAP 505 World Championship at Kiel

Mike Holt has been competing for the world title for a quarter of a century, and together with Rob Woelfel has now won the SAP 505 World Championships in Kiel.

Mike Holt has spent most of his life dreaming about becoming world champion and finally it came true with victory in the final race of the SAP 505 World Championship in Kiel. Together with crew Rob Woelfel, Holt went into a showdown as one of six teams with a chance of winning the title. The British-born resident of Santa Cruz in California had twice gone into the final day of a 505 Worlds only to finish runner-up. “I don’t think we’ve ever had anything like this though,” said Holt before racing. “Six teams gunning for the title says how competitive it has been this year.”

The key decision all week has been when to exit the gate start. The young Australians, Pete Nicholas and Luke Payne, have opted for an early start nearly every race and today did the same. They were joined by Holt, while the other world title contenders waited a few minutes as the pathfinder sailed out to the right-hand side of the course. The two British teams still in title contention, Andy Smith/ Tim Needham along with Ian Pinnell/ Dave Shelton, started late and found themselves on the wrong side of the first shift. The early starters were doing well out on the left, with Holt and the Australians moving into the lead towards the top mark.

For the next three and a half laps of the 75-minute race, Holt and Nicholas were engaged in a tight boatspeed duel in medium to strong winds, the Australian boat overtaking downwind but the Americans bouncing back on each upwind leg with slightly superior pace. Holt later commented: “We felt we were the same pace as the Aussies downwind but we were playing it safe. We didn’t want to push it in the waves. All week we’ve been looking to keep it simple, just do the important things well.”

Rob Woelfel commented: “Our main focus was to finish in the top three today, because we knew if we did that we’d win. On the last beat we didn’t care if the Aussies won the race. As it turned out, because we were sailing hard, we got them just at the finish, by about half a boatlength.” The Aussies had one more tack to cross the line and by the time they had completed their turn, the Americans had taken the winner’s gun by just two seconds. Holt and Woelfel hugged each other, the culmination of a brilliantly executed campaign that made the most of their high-wind expertise. “I’ve been doing this a long time, it’s been an ambition for a long time,” said a jubilant Holt. “There are so many good guys that sail Five-Ohs, it’s very competitive, so very pleased to have done it, and Rob is just amazing.”

There was no disappointment in the Aussie camp. They acknowledged Holt and Woelfel as the worthy winners. “We were aiming for a top 10, and anything more than that a bonus,” said Luke Payne. “Very excited to get 2nd. We were improving the whole regatta and managed to find some really good speed by the end. Now we’ve got to see if we can win a world title!” Considering they’re in their mid-20s and this was only their third time at a 505 World Championship, Nicholas and Payne can surely expect to win a world title in years to come.

The battle for 3rd place was the closest, with Smith and Needham making a late charge through the fleet to almost steal the final podium place from the Germans, but Wolfgang Hunger and Julien Kleiner’s 3rd place across the finish was sufficient to finish on equal points with the Brits but win the tie-break due to their higher finishing positions during the regatta. Hunger had missed his chance at a record sixth world title in the 505, but another podium finish was a respectable result for a team that has done very little practice this season.

With 173 entries, this was the third largest world championship in the 60-year history of the class. To look back through the winning moves you can browse through the SAP Sailing Analytics, and watch recordings of the live coverage of the regatta, all to be found at the official website, www.sap505worlds.com

“It’s exciting to look at the roster of teams who are lining up against us,” said Jimmy Spithill, the skipper of Oracle Team USA, the winner of the last two America’s Cup matches. “We’re facing five strong challengers who have a lot of resources, talent and experience.

“But our team is very competitive. We love challenges – the bigger, the better. It’s very easy to get motivated when you see what we’re going to be facing.”

The 35th America’s Cup begins in 2015 and 2016 with the America’s Cup World Series, raced in venues around the world. This feeds into the main events in 2017, which will narrow the field to just two: the top challenger and the defender, Oracle Team USA, who will then face each other in the America’s Cup Match.

Teams will be given the opportunity to host America’s Cup World Series events at a venue of their choosing, while the final venue for the 35th America’s Cup will be either Bermuda or San Diego, with the selection to be made before the end of the year.

Under the rules of the event, late entries may be accepted at the discretion of the America’s Cup organizers.

Quotes from the challenging teams:

Iain Percy, Artemis Racing: “We are not only in this competition to win the 35th America’s Cup, but to dominate the America’s Cup arena for the next decade. I’m also passionate that Artemis Racing is about more than simply winning; it’s about producing a legacy and winning in a certain way.”

Ben Ainslie, Ben Ainslie Racing: “We are delighted that Royal Yacht Squadron Racing’s challenge for the 35th America’s Cup has been officially accepted. The America’s Cup originates from the Squadron and it is our goal to return the Cup to where it belongs.”

Dean Barker, Emirates Team New Zealand: “New Zealand has a long and proud history in the America’s Cup. We see some formidable opposition taking shape in the 35th America’s Cup and we have no illusions about the job ahead. We have been working quietly behind the scenes towards this day almost since the last day of the 34th America’s Cup. Now the real work begins.”

Max Sirena, Luna Rossa Challenge: “This is Luna Rossa’s fifth challenge to the America’s Cup, an historic record. Not only does it underline the attachment of our team to the America’s Cup, but it also shows our determination to bring the Cup to Italy. This edition will be very competitive and our team has already been preparing for several months now in view of a challenge that promises to be spectacular and exciting right from its preliminary events, the America’s Cup World Series, that will take place next year.”

Franck Cammas, Team France: “Team France is very proud to be a challenger for the 35th America’s Cup. We are taking the first step of a journey that we know will be very difficult. With Olivier de Kersauson, Michel Desjoyeaux and our team, we are determined to represent France at the highest level from a sporting and technological point of view. I thank all of our partners and supporters, as without you, we would not even see the beginning of our journey, much less the road ahead.”

The teams for the 35th America’s Cup will be introduced at a press conference in London, England on September 9.

Eight newly built TP52s will compete on the 2015 52 Super Series circuit in a fleet which is expected to comprise 12 to 14 boats, including three teams who will be new to the series in Europe, over a five regatta circuit at venues which are presently being finalised.

The high number of new boats for next season reflects the controlled evolution and success of the class and the 52 Super Series circuit in delivering fast, exciting, close racing at desirable venues, competing against like minded owners and teams.

Ten years after the TP52s were first adopted into Europe the class remains true to a box rule concept which has been well managed so racing remains tight but there are still sufficient design opportunities to develop and design performance differences.

The new 2015 generation boats will be faster still and more challenging to sail. Sail area increases – mainsails, jibs and gennakers all get bigger – overall displacement reduces but draft and hence righting moment or power increases – carbon rigging is adopted, bowsprits are longer, new generation carbon rigs will be stiffer and deflectors are allowed and cockpit volume is opened up.

Interestingly the new boats which have been ordered are split 50:50, four apiece between the two established design houses Botin Partners and Judel/Vrolijk.

While the performance of the new generation of TP52s is expected to step up significantly from the main crop of boats which compete currently on the Barclays 52 Super Series, what is especially exciting is that with fleet will converge back to a much closer design envelope. With such a high proportion of the fleet new, or much more recent designs, then the playing field for the 2015 season will be level. There will be no hiding place.

“In a way that is terrifying.” Smiles Tony Rey, the project manager for Ergin Imre’s Provezza team. Imre is without question one of the circuit’s most experienced and enthusiastic owners, with his Provezza projects dating back 25 years through one design, IMS and IOR. A new Vrolijk designed Provezza is being built at Cooksons in New Zealand with Chris Hosking managing the construction for the team which is expecting the new boat to be ready around Christmas.

“ That is the thing I find most exciting.” Rey expands, “ A new boat does not make us faster than the old boat. It highlights any weaknesses that we have compared to other teams. A new boat will shine a light on all aspects of our team, our maintenance, our organisation, our crew work, our communication, that is what a new boat does.”

“We are on the level playing field and we can’t hide any more with ‘oh this old boat’”

Of the publically confirmed projects four will build in Europe, Provezza in New Zealand and one at Premier Composites Dubai facility.

And with a bigger fleet the critical design decisions are opened, taken or have been taken, how to mode the new boat to gain an edge upwind. Now it becomes key to design in the ability to be in the very top spots at the first upwind mark:

Guillermo Parada, skipper of Azzurra, explains:

“It is very exciting for our team, for the Super Series and for the class that there will be eight new boats for next season. That means the competition will be really tough and also having 14 boats expected on the start line next season it is a very different challenge that we are facing as a team. The new boats need to be more upwind orientated because in a bigger fleet you need to make sure you get to the top mark in good shape and from there on you plan your race, otherwise in a small fleet you can have very good downwind boat that is not so good upwind. That will be the biggest change. And with all the changes in the rule, the carbon rigging, deflectors, more draft, lighter boats those are parameters which will make the boat even more challenging to sail.”

“The new boats will be a lot faster, more manageable and I think they will level off the playing field quite a bit between the pro drivers and some of the owner drivers because they are going to be balanced a little better and they will be faster downwind. It’s exciting.”

But along with the design differences in design, Ed Reynolds highlights the enduring appeal which keeps the TP52 popular with owners and crews:

“I think we have been around 7000kgs on our headstay loads and the new boats will be around 7500kgs, we are going to carbon rigging, these boats get loaded up. But the really nice thing about the 52’s is that we feel it is the biggest boat that you can really have that you are still racing it like a dinghy. Any bigger then some of the crew work, the kinetics, the things you can do with smaller boats that you can with the 52, you can’t do above this size. Racing these boats everybody loves it.
For us they have done such a great job with the box rule it will be hard to come out and leapfrog the opposition. Our focus is on moding the boat. How high a drag do we want our fin? Where do we want to be against fleet downwind? Which wind range? I think that is the technological advantage you look for in this fleet. It is indisputable. This box rule has been as level and as well thought out as anything outside of one design boats I have ever seen.

“We are so excited about this. For the Class it means the total of TP52s built in 15 years is set to rise now above 70 boats which is quite an achievement if we recognise that these are large one-off racing yachts built to the highest standards at the time of construction.”

“ In a way it is logical to see these bursts of construction activity such as we have now. We have seen them in the past as well. The TP52 owners are fans of level, real time racing and when so many start building it is represents a very good moment to jump on the train and have a realistic chance to be at par with the majority of boats for some years to come.” TP52 Class Manager Rob Weiland highlights.

CEO of the 52 Super Series Agustin Zulueta summarises: “The circuit is shaping up well for 2015 we are finalising the venues right now so that we reflect a genuine pan European spread of locations, five regattas over five months, exciting places and established favourites. The 52 Super Series is ever growing and exceeding expectations set out at the beginning of the year. There is no doubt that the formula we offer is a recipe for success. In 2014 we formed strong links with international companies such as Barclays, Zenith, Gaastra and in the last weeks Peters & May. Continued interest in the series and eight new boats for next year, confirms that the 52 Super Series is the place to be in the years to come.

Artemis Racing officially launched its challenge to win the 35th America’s Cup at an inspirational event in Sweden’s capital. Guests were treated to a rare chance of seeing the America’s Cup trophy first hand at the Moderna Museet, on Skeppsholmen Island at the heart of Stockholm’s proud maritime history.

Torbjörn Törnqvist, Team Principal of Artemis Racing said: “Sailing is my passion, and I’m very proud to once again represent Sweden in the America’s Cup. Given our experience from the 34th America’s Cup, what the team went through and achieved, we have an incredibly strong culture, a belonging to the team. Building on our core group from the last campaign, we have been able to secure talent across all areas, and I strongly believe that Artemis Racing is a team capable of winning the 35th America’s Cup”.

Artemis Racing will again challenge alongside Kungliga Svenska Segel Sällskapet (KSSS), the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, for what will be their second campaign together in the pursuit of winning the oldest competition in sport.

“The America’s Cup is the pinnacle of international sailing. KSSS is proud to be a challenger once again through Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing team. We are also very excited by the prospect of involving Swedish sailors in various ways in the project. We want to extend our gratitude to Torbjörn Törnqvist for making this possible” commented Staffan Salén, KSSS Commodore.

New team members were announced, including Swedish Olympic champions, Fredrik Lööf and Max Salminen, as well as America’s Cup veteran Rod Davis.

Lööf is one of the most successful Swedish sailors of all times and a long-time friend and competitor of Team Manager Iain Percy. With a wealth of experience, he has participated in an incredible six Olympic campaigns, winning a gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics and bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the Star class, and at the Sydney 2000 Olympics in the Finn class. Lööf’s career highlights also include three Finn World Championships, two Star World titles and a third place finish in the 2001-2002 Volvo Ocean Race.

On joining the team Fredrik said “I’ve been fascinated by the way sailing has been evolving over the last few years, with these new foiling boats and incredible TV production. I was really inspired by Artemis’ last campaign and having a Swedish boat on the start line again, and being part of it this time, is very exciting. Winning the America’s Cup and bringing it to Sweden for the first time would be something very special”.

One of the most promising talents in Swedish sailing, Max Salminen, still just 24, struck gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games alongside Fredrik Lööf in the Star class.

Artemis Racing also welcomed Sailing Coach Rod Davis. In his extraordinary America’s Cup career –now his 9th campaign – Davis brings an unparalleled wealth of experience to the team, having covered a variety of roles from bowman to mainsail trimmer, skipper, and more recently coach of Emirates Team New Zealand. Rod won a gold medal in the Soling class at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984, and Olympic silver in the Finn class in Barcelona 1992. His track record also includes winning the Admiral’s Cup and the Sardinia Cup several times, as well as seven World Champion titles.

The Team has already amassed an incredible 61 America’s Cup Campaigns between its members, including 14 victories. Team members (including two designers) have competed in 21 Olympic Games, winning 11 medals, including seven Gold medals.

“Where some teams may have one Olympic gold medallist, we have six of them, however the focus is very much on the team, and there is no individual bigger than the group. We are not only in this competition to win the 35th America’s Cup, but to dominate the America’s Cup arena for the next decade.” Said Team Manager and Tactician Iain Percy. “I’m also passionate that Artemis Racing is more than simply winning, it’s about producing a legacy and winning in a certain way”.

Harnessing fresh talent and inspiring younger team members is at the core of Artemis Racing’s new challenge, and the Team launched an internship programme which will give top Swedish students a chance to become directly involved in the key areas that make up a successful America’s Cup Team, spending up to 12 weeks working in the team base in Alameda, CA, USA, across different departments.

Artemis Racing also aspires to be the most sustainable and responsible team in the America’s Cup, announcing a number of initiatives including plans to ‘up-cycle’ or, ‘re-purpose’, their future base at the 35th America’s Cup venue

The Team also announced partnerships with Pelle P, as the official clothing supplier and Cosworth Group, as technical supplier.

2014 RC44 World Championship at Marstrand, Sweden

After four action packed days of match racing and fleet racing, near gale force winds and substantial breaking waves on the race course caused the concluding races of the 2014 RC44 Marstrand World Championship to be cancelled.

Principal Race Officer Peter ‘Luigi’ Reggio explained: “The wind was over our normal limit of 26-28 knots at 2-3m, so at the top of the rigs it would have been 28-30. We were anticipating it dying down, but unfortunately the sea state wouldn’t die with it. So ultimately it was down to the sea state. You know the seas are rough when you have to pick the waves you turn the power boat around in and with occasional 3-3.5m swells there is no way the committee boat would have held.”

After nine races Vladimir Liubomirov’s Bronenosec Sailing Team has been crowned the RC44 Marstrand World Champion, finishing six points clear of Nico Poons’ Charisma, in turn four points ahead of Chris Bake’s Team Aqua in third place.

“I am very happy,” said Liubomirov, who is Commodore of the St Petersburg Yacht Club in Russia. “What is very symbolic for me is that my first experience with the RC44 was here in Marstrand one year ago. Michele (Ivaldi) was the coach for our team then, because we didn’t know this boat. This season he has become our tactician and I think this is really his victory, because he is our teacher, along with Cameron Dunn.”

This is Liubomirov’s second World Championship victory in as many weeks, coming to Sweden directly from winning the Gazprom Swan 60 Worlds in Palma last week.

Italian Tactician Michele Ivaldi was especially satisfied with the result as this is his second consecutive RC44 World Championship title having won as tactician for Igor Lah’s Team CEEREF in 2013. “Coming out top on the podium was unexpected, but we worked hard for it and we had the tools to do it. For sure it is great success,” he said.

As to the secret of winning back to back World Championships, he confided: “It’s down to the group. We started with a good group and after the first regatta I suggested some changes, bringing some of the core trimmers from last year, people I have been sailing with for the last two years in the class.” Specifically this was mainsail trimmer Paul Westlake and jib trimmer Maciel Cicchetti. “They are the real engine of the boat. They make the boat so fast, and speed always makes a tactician look smart! So we had good starts all week and being fast upwind we could always make the first shift.”

With three races scheduled today mathematically nine teams still could have won the World title if racing had proceeded. Realistically the competition was down to the top six with 14 points separating Bronenosec from local host Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing, up to sixth place after winning two of yesterday’s races.

34th America’s Cup winning strategist Tom Slingsby, tactician on Nico Poons’ second placed Charisma, felt that Peter Reggio had made the right call. “It is the sea state more than the wind. It is a shame because we were only six points away, plus we feel we are better in the strong conditions, so we were hoping to get out there. It’s disappointing because we finished on a bad race yesterday and we thought we had a chance to get it back today. Personally I wanted to win this one, but as a result for a new team – this is only our third regatta together – to beat Team Aqua and teams like that, who have been at it for a long time, is very good for Nico [Poons] and the team.”

Team Nika’s Vladimir Prosikhin also felt cancelling correct, particularly remembering what had occurred in the marginally better conditions on the final day here last year: “Our boat was taking on water – we had to hide behind the island to bail water out! Today it is quite rough outside and I believe it is the owners’ opinion that it is better to stay safe. We have had an excellent regatta, nothing’s broken, no one has been injured and that is very important.”

Peter Reggio concluded: “We have got nine really fair races in and you really don’t want to screw that up. If they had gone out today it would have been survival. It would not have been racing.”

For Chris Bake, a third place finish at this World Championship, along with a discard coming in for the overall 2014 series, has put his Team Aqua back on top of the leaderboard, reclaiming the coveted ‘golden wheels’ from John Bassadone’s Peninsula Petroleum.

The RC44 Championship continues with its final event of 2014, the RC44 Oman Cup in Muscat over 19-23 November.

2014 RC44 World Championship at Marstrand, Sweden

Local Swedish fans were rewarded on the penultimate day of the RC44 Marstrand World Championship when Torbjörn Törnqvist’s Artemis Racing dramatically improved its performance, following mid-fleet finishes over the last two days.

In the first race Artemis Racing got the inside berth on Team Nika at the second weather mark, enabling her to pull into the lead and extend down the final run into the finish.

In winning the race, the Swedish team became this World Championship’s seventh individual winner in as many races, giving some indication as to the intense level of competition. However Torbjörn Törnqvist’s team bucked this trend, going on to make it two in a row, by claiming race two. This proved similar to the first race only with the Swedish team faster out of the start, again pulling into the lead at the second top mark rounding but then hanging on down to the finish line within the tight confines of Marstrand Fjord.

With a sixth place in Saturday’s third and final race, Artemis Racing now lies sixth overall, but only five points adrift of the podium.

“The biggest difference today was that we were all very focussed, we had great boat speed and no real issues on the boat – when you have that it is easier,” admitted Törnqvist. There were no changes made overnight, however Törnqvist felt he had steered better “and everything worked well on board in terms of the teamwork and the tactics. It was one of those days…”

In the moderate conditions, boat handling was vital, but going the right way was paramount and Artemis Racing tactician and triple Olympic medallist Iain Percy felt his team had had some lucky breaks. “In a fleet of this standard, if you get some breaks, any of the boats is good enough to win. And we got some breaks… We had really good starts in all three races and the shifts fell our way upwind and we also had some good pace: Put that all together and suddenly we were at the front!”

Current tour leaders John Bassadone’s Peninsula Petroleum have struggled to find consistency in Sweden with results solely in either the top four or the bottom three. While lying second in race two today, an umpire call went against them, the result of an incident with Bronenosec prior to the second leeward mark rounding. Italian tactician Vasco Vascotto was thrown by this and in error made to call to gybe once they were into the Marstrand Fjord, a move that caused them ultimately to finish the race last.

However the Gibraltar-based team regrouped and came out firing on all cylinders to win the final race. “We have had a very inconsistent regatta so far,” observed Bassadone. “In three races we have scored 33 points and in six races we have scored 14 points. We have had a 10, 11, 12, which is just unacceptable, all from different things: One OCS, one issue on the boat, which happens, and then the penalty. At least we showed character in the way that we came back and won the last one.”

Conversely showing the greatest consistency has been Vladimir Liubomirov’s Bronenosec, which with a 6-4-2 today has taken the lead overall, six points ahead of Nico Poons’ new RC44 team, Charisma.

“It was a tough day for us, because the first race was not successful,” said Liubomirov. “In the second unfortunately we had the small incident with Peninsula and they got the penalty, but we lost two places. The last one was amazing, a good recovery after the first two.”

Sunday, three more races are scheduled and with a return to the big conditions of the first two days of this regatta and winds gusting into the mid-20s, there remains a lot of racing still to go in this RC44 World Championship.

Mallorca’s prestigious Puerto Portals will host the 2015 TP52 World Championship in July next year, returning to a venue which harbours very many happy memories for the class. The excellent facilities, very desirable location, reliable sea breezes and ease of travel access are just some of the key reasons that the TP52 class have chosen Puerto Portals.

The TP52 World Championship will once again be a constituent regatta of the 52 Super Series in 2015 and with eight new TP52s already confirmed to be building for next season, the World Championship title will be one of the hardest fought ever in 2015 as the fleet enjoys significant growth.

The exact size of the fleet for 2015 is still not known but the current expectation is for at least 12 boats representing 12 different nations.

“We are very excited to be going to Puerto Portals for the TP52 World Championships in 2015. We are pleased to see not only that the fleet is growing but it is becoming increasingly international. That was one of the goals we set as the world’s leading monohull circuit.” Says Agustin Zulueta the CEO of the 52 Super Series.

Corinna Graf, CEO of Puerto Portals confirms that they had been looking to return to hosting top level international racing but they have been waiting the right opportunity.

“We were seeking an event which brings real prestige, a race which is of public relevance and a true top level sporting test. Being hosts of a stage of the 52 Super Series will bring great pride to the port. And crowning a new world champion in 2015 will add a new level of prestige.”

Rob Weiland, manager of the TP52 class, also is pleased to bring the World Championship to Puerto Portals World: “It’s a beautiful place to sail. I was here for the first time in 2005 for the Breitling Cup and have always loved the infrastructure and the ambience. Conditions will be excellent for racing and there are many good restaurants very close to the dock. I am convinced that the World Championship in Puerto Portals is going to be a great success. ”

Puerto Portals has a long and storied relationship with the Class since it was adopted in the Med in 2005. From 2005 to 2008 the venue was a regular fixture on the MedCup circuit, usually with a royal presence and unique ambience.